Is 20 Too Young for a Facelift?

No matter what age, if a surgery has a high probability of making you look better than you would have without the surgery, for the rest of your life, -- and therefore make you feel better about yourself for the rest of your life -- then, in my opinion, it should be considered appropriate surgery. Beyond the surgeon offering surgery as an appropriate option, it should then be the adult's well-informed choice as to whether to have the surgery or not. However, some people have a self-perception disorder called "body dysmorphia syndrome" -- and unfortunately, some surgeons will do surgery on patients whether they believe the patient will actually look better or not. So what looks "better" can't be determined by either the patient or the patient's surgeon.The surgeon has to be able to dissociate, as best he/she can, their clinical judgement as to what would be "best" for the patient, from his/her desire to do surgery and to profit from it. In other words, each surgeon has to wear a "clinician's hat" and a "surgeon's hat" -- and wear ONLY the clinician's hat when helping you decide on whether to have surgery or not. In this regard, the surgeon should try to get into the head of and therefore present the opinion of the hypothetical "average person". I personally imagine corralling 100 people off the street at random and imagine them seeing you as you look now and as you will look after the surgery. If I sincerely believe that over 90% of them would say that you look better with the "after" result, then I offer the procedure as an option -- again, no matter what age.In considering the benefits of a facelift, it helps to place all your fingers in front of your ears and along your neck and push up and back. If it's obvious to you that you look better with this lifting maneuver, than a facelift just might be appropriate even at the age of 20. The main obstacle to you benefiting from a facelift in this situation is what your peers might think of you doing this relatively major procedure at such a young age -- something that may be a factor in your decision-making process or not.

It is very difficult to answer your question without seeing your pictures – you should consider posting images showing your areas of concern.  It is unusual to need or to be able to really benefit from a face lift at age 20

Most likely you ARE too young for a facelift. Photos would be helpful in determining if you truly are a good candidate.  In my practice, the best candidate for a facelift is a physically healthy person who is realistic in their expectations regarding the appearance of loose facial and neck skin. You do not need to wait until the signs of aging are severe, an increasing number of men and women elect to have facelifts performed at a younger age at the first signs of a sagging lower face - creating a less dramatic and less noticeable result than if they had waited longer. In general, a facelift performed at a younger age creates a longer lasting and more natural appearing lift, enabling you to enjoy the results of your procedure for more years to come. Conversely, so long as you are healthy, a facelift can be performed at any age and can deliver remarkable results. Many healthy patients over 80 years of age enjoy the benefits of a facelift.

 

Best of Luck, Dr. Clevens